Agent Romanoff
by McToastchee
Summary: Hydra sends an assassin back in time to kill Steve Rogers. Natasha goes back to the 1940's to make sure Hydra doesn't succeed. Endgame AU, bit of Steve x Natasha x Peggy.
1. Chapter 1

Basically, I have had this idea ever since I wrote my previous Endgame oneshot. I was thinking how they would make a Black Widow movie now that *SPOILERS* we know what happened to Natasha. So, I just couldn't let this idea of mines die out and had to at least write some of it down. Otherwise, this is how I would think a Black Widow centered movie/tv show should be like.

This is definitely going to pair Steve and Natasha together because they are my ship. This is an AU where Clint dies, and Cap stays in the present. Enjoy, and if you want more give me some feedback or a like.

Thanks a lot.

xxxx

The ringing of a phone could be heard, it's an outgoing call. Five, ten, fifteen second go by, the red -haired assassin began to think it might have been a bad idea to call so late at night. She looked at her clock which was hanging on an empty wall to the right of her bed. It's a little passed 11:20 PM.

"We're sorry, the person you are—" Natasha groaned and put the cellphone off her shoulder. As she was about to shut the device, a frantic shuffle could be heard. "Hi! Sorry, who's this?" The phone suddenly answered.

"Hi, hi, hey, it's me Nat…" the assassin answered.

"Oh! Hi Nat, how are you? I was just putting the kids to sleep, they were really hyper tonight, we just finished watching a movie." The voice on the other end said extatically and at the same time there was a hint of relief in her voice.

"Hey Laura, I am doing fine. I am just checking up to see how everyone's doing since I have been busy these last couple of weeks." Natasha said, trying her best not to sound needy.

"We are doing fine, I-I am still trying my best to keep things on the low. W-we are trying our best, sticking together you know." The woman replied shakily on the other end.

It's been half a year since the battle with Thanos, half a year since Clint throw himself off the cliff; sacrificing himself so that the Avengers could pull off their time heist and bring half the universe back.

"That's good to hear." Natasha said, there was a quiver in her voice as she tried her best to hold back the tears forming around her eyes. An awkward silence fell dead silent on the phone until Laura began to speak again.

"Nat, you should come over when you have time. Stick around for a few days, the kids would love to have you around." Laura practically pleaded.

"Of course, anything. I – ah, I have some things planned before the weekend, but I should be free after. Will that work?" Natasha was quick to reply, she secretly hoped that Laura would ask her such as simple request. She wanted nothing more than to have a few days of relaxation, and to put her mind off "work."

"You know us, we welcome you to come any time." The woman answered back.

"Okay, I'll see you then?" The assassin said.

"Of course. Good night Nat. It was good to hear from you."

"You too, good night."

Both women were hesitant to close the call, but Laura was the first one to do so as there was some ruffling in the background, one of the kids call for her. Natasha let the phone call go one for a few seconds before the line finally went dead. The assassin, slowly leaned into the corner of her bed, setting he back on the wall and bringing her knees to her face where she rested her head.

"It was supposed to be me…" She mouths with a breathy sigh; it was the last of her efforts to hold back her emotions before letting a few tears shed.

xxxx

Down in a Hydra lab, several scientist work on a what appears to be a platform. Wires hanged unorganized all over the walls, some dangling from the ceiling hooked into the circular stage. Two Hydra agents dressed in high grade military wear and make their way up a few stairs before stopping in the middle. The head scientist typed furiously on his keyboard, testing the final calculations and running risk simulations. A few seconds later he paused and gave the two agents a nod.

"Three, two, one."

With a flash of light, the platform began to light up and the relay panels began to spin. The two agents both presses a button on their suits and disappeared.

The Hydra scientists stopped and stared at each other for a moment.

One more bright flash rippled the room, the machine temporarily overloaded and sent hundreds of sparks flying across the room. No one was phases as they looked at the agents who have completed their mission and brought back the asset.

xxxx

The sound of water filled the bathroom, Natasha was in the shower having a moment of bliss. She stood as the water came pouring down her back, the warmth made her shutter but in a good way.

Ding* Dong*

Ruined.

Natasha sighed. Who is it now? She questioned as she turned off the water. The red-haired woman made her way out of the shower, grabbing a towel to cover her body. She quickly made her way to the door. The agent was currently living in a small apartment in the middle of Manhattan, not really an incognito location but it wasn't like that many people knew where she lived, mostly just the Avengers.

Her stealthy footsteps made no noise as she made it across the hallway. Slowly, she moved her head to the peephole to take a look at her morning visitor. "Speak of the devil." Amusement in her voice.

She opened the door, purposefully still wrapped in the semi-soaked towel.

"Hey Nat—" Steve stopped when he realized what his eyes laid upon. Natasha gave the super soldier a sly smirk, and then crossed her arms as if she was trying to cover her top. Not that she needed to as Steve's gaze never fell below her neck, in fact his cheeks flushes just the smallest amount as he turned around to avoid eye contact.

"Maybe I should come back in a few minutes?" He enquires.

"You're no fun. Come in, the shows already over." Natasha joked.

Steve didn't have a comeback for that one, instead he just opted for walking in and closing the door as he kept his eyes glued passed the woman and on anything other than her nearly naked form.

"I thought we were pass the door ringing; you know I gave you a spare key for a reason?" she said seductively, but Steve knew it was just sarcasm.

"You know in my time; this would be considered scandalous." The soldier said blandly.

"But we're not in your time Cap." The woman said walking back into the bathroom to get dressed, but not before letting her towel drop right in front of the door. She knew Steve wouldn't dare take a look, it was quite charming actually, the whole old gentleman thing, however Natasha did it anyway for the sake of teasing.

Steve found his way to the living room an pulled out a chair to sit in. He had been to the assassin's apartment many times, in a way it reminded him of his own little complex. Nothing really to express that an individual lived there, only the necessary utensils and technology to live with. "Man, we really need to get a life." He breathed.

"As I said before, you first." It wasn't meant to be a response, she just liked butting in. Natasha made her way into the room, this time dressed in a black tank top and blue tight-fitting jeans.

Steve made a small smile directed at her. "How was your morning?"

"Noneventful." Natasha returned the smile.

""I should have known."" They both said in unison.

"How many times have you asked me that questions?" She jested, harkening back to the past five years they've spent with each other doing nothing at the Avenger Facility.

"642 times now I think." Steve answered.

"Wow, you were actually keeping track." Natasha took a seat

"No, but that sounds about right." In one swift motion, Steve slid a folder over to Natasha.

"What's it this time?" Natasha didn't want to sound mission-fatigued but couldn't help but make it appear that way.

"Our old friend Hydra is up to something. Our intel picked up on a large power surge less than 48 hours days ago in Mexico. We don't know what it is, but we can assume the worst since the energy signature is similar to that of the time machine Banner and Tony made."

Natasha furrowed her eyebrows; this was a big concern. It didn't matter that changing the past doesn't affect the future, terrible things could still come from this. "How is this possible? We destroyed the machine, no one knows how to make the Pym Particles besides Hank."

"Hydra has been trying to recreate the Pym Particles for decades now, it seems that they have finally found a similar substitute. The machine itself was probably scrapped together in the pass five years during the… snap." Steve had to pause for a moment, the past was still to fresh to be talked about lightly. "They probably raided Hank's old research, found a way to build a machine."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Natasha stood up, but her stomach made a small growl.

Steve held back a chuckle, he was eager to go and find out whatever Hydra was planning also, but no one should fight hungry.

"I could make you something or we can go buy something, your choice."

"Watch it their Rogers, if I didn't know any better, I would think you are asking me out." Natasha semi-joke, but a little voice inside her didn't think it was such a bad idea. Quickly though, she suppressed the thought. There have been several times in the past decade where they had moments that hinted of something more between them then friends, but she wanted to remain professional. Something as good as their relationship shouldn't be ruined because of naturalistic needs.

"Maybe I am." Steve countered; Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"See, you are getting the hand of 21st century flirting after all." She walked past Steve and over to the kitchen counter.

The Captain turned his head and gave the assassin a smirk, "I try."

"Oooo, almost had me there Mr. Worthy." Though she made the attempt to keep her sights down to not get caught up in the golden boy's smile. It was only partially successful.

xxxx

In the dead of night, a stealth jet made its way into the Sonoran Desert passed the boarder of Arizona and into Mexico.

"What's the plan Cap?" James "Rhodey" Rhodes, also known as War Machine, asked Steve.

The super soldier pulled up a holographic monitor with images of the Hydra base. The picture showed a canyon area with a platform and fortification built into the slide of the rock walls. "It looks like the base is highly fortified. They have reflectors scattered throughout the area that is keeping the base hidden, the outer part of the base looks the most heavily armored. Rhodey should be able to handle most of the enemies outside." Steve tapped on the hologram and the images changed into an underground bunker hidden under the fortress. "Me and Romanoff will be sneaking in here, our main goal is to find the machine, destroy it if necessary."

Rhodey nodded his head in acknowledgement. He brought the scans up in his helmet hud and reviewed all the possible risks and enemy threats. "I'd thought Sam and Bucky would be joining us."

"They have their own mission going on." Steve replied while putting a communication device in his ear.

"I though those two hated each other?" Natasha spoke.

"Still do, but if we are all working together, we need everyone to be on good terms." Steve smirked and placed the shield that T'Challa had Shuri make him on his back.

"That's cold." Rhodey laughed.

Natasha clearly though the idea of those two working together to be something out of comedy skit. They would probably spend more time bickering with eachother than fighting the enemy. The assassin sent the Captain a playful but questionable look. Steve just gave her a small shrug.

xxxx

The stealth jet let Steve and Natasha off several hundred yards from the cliff of the canyon where their security was light. The two crept their way to the end of the valley and took out their enhanced binoculars to make a last-minute reconnaissance of the base. "As expect, most of the infantry is in the front. Most heavy artillery and guns are scattered around the perimeter, those will need to be taken out first. Copy?"

"Copy." Rhodey answered as he waited out in the distance.

Natasha pulled a grapple gun out of a bag and aimed down the sights. She found a good spot several dozen yards from the entrance of the base that looked like a good spot to climb into the fortification without getting noticed.

A small hiss broke through the air as wire attached itself to the wall in front of them.

The duo made their way across the line and onto the massive rock wall. Climbing on the slide, the two stopped short of the entrance and Steve pointed at a small open entrance about a hundred yards deep into the stronghold. "Rhodey, draw the action away from us."

On cue, explosions began to rain down on the base destroying a major portion of the enemy's automated weapons. The silver and black exoskeleton flew into action, blasting at the Hydra personnel with impressive firepower. Captain America and Black Widow in the middle of the frenzy began making their way to the door now that only a few guards stood in their way.

Steve kicked a Hydra soldier with enough force to send him flying dozens of feet right into the side of vehicle creating a noticeable dent. Spinning around he knocks out another guard with a hard bash of his shield. Natasha pulled out her pistol and with deadly precision took aim, pulled the trigger and put down the four more guards. "Steve the door!"

The super soldier spotted the metal wall rapidly closing, quickly, he throws his shield which flew right in between the falling door and the floor, allowing for a sizable gap. The assassin slid under the crack and in one swift motion got back up onto her feet. Aiming down her weapon she took three quick bursts and down went another three unsuspecting troops.

Suddenly, she felt the wind get knocked out of her as a Hydra soldier sprinted out from the doorway and tackled the assassin into the wall. The blunt force made the assassin drop her gun, recovering fast, she punched the man in the stomach with made him wobble back a few feet. Natasha had to take a quick second to catch her breath, while the soldier pulled out a sharp blade. Natasha got her fists up and ready for a scramble.

Just as the Hydra agent got ready to make his move, a flash of red, white, and blue hit the man in the head with a loud "ping" which even made Black Widow wince. She turned to her left and found the super soldier sliding his shield back onto his left arm.

"Great timing." She quipped while recovering her gun.

"As always." Steve returned as the two continued their way through the hallway and he pressed the button to the elevator.

"Any signs of enemies?" Steve asked.

Natasha put on a pair of glasses and looked down. "We have explosives built into the walls of the elevator. About a hundred feet down I read at least ten guys ready to shoot anything that makes it down there."

Steve pulled open the door and with a powerful spin, directed all of the energy into a cutting force with his shield, separating the cables that pulled up the elevator. There was a quick two second screeching noise and then a loud explosion shook their feet.

Natasha took off the glasses with a small smirk. "That's a strike."

The duo made their way down the elevator structure and onto the bottom floor. Steve was the first to trek down the pathway leading up to the lab room. Natasha held out her gun ready for any uncertain ambush. "Clear on my end"

"No sign of activity." Natasha reassured.

Steve looked at the hinges of the metal door, backing up a few steps he brought his shield up in front of him and made a quick dash. In impact of the super soldier hitting the door pulled the metal out of its frame and skidding across the lab floor. The sound of something flying towards the super soldier made him raise his shield.

Ping*

The clash of the two shields rang around the deserted laboratory. The metal disk bounced and returned to the owner. Out of the shadows the dark covered figure walked out into the light.

"You've got to be kidding me." Steve breathed, as he looked in horror. The man in front of him was non other than himself dressed in a black Hydra quantum realm suit.

Natasha appeared besides Steve; her eyes widened in shock at the slightly younger Captain America. "This is awkward."

The two Steves eyed each other, the older Cap could tell that Hydra had done something to his younger self. There was a murderous look in the man from the past.

The younger Cap smirked and clicked a button on a device connected to his right-hand glove.

The older Steve could tell where this was going and quickly through his shield at the younger Steve, but it was too late. A quick flash of light blinded him and Natasha as the machine roared to life and sucked the younger Cap into the quantum realm.

"Oh no…" Abruptly, Steve felt his entire body shake. A headache ripped through his brain as if a large rubber hand was tightly squeezing his skull. The soldier fell to his knees and crashed onto the floor.

"Steve!?" Natasha rushed over to her friend. "Steve! Steve!?" She called his name, shaking the man's body rigorously. "Rhodey?!" Natasha yelled into her communicator.

"Nat! What's the problem?" Rhodey replied, concern in his voice.

"Steve is down, bring in back up now!"

xxxx

"No, no, no, this shouldn't be right." Bruce said as he paced back in forth with his right-hand brushing through his hair.

Natasha looked at the green giant and furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong with him?" her question came out in a whimper as she looked over the unconscious Steve lying on the table.

"I think he may be experiencing a temporal-stroke." Bruce massaged his chin, a deep stern expression painted on his face.

"What does that mean?" Rhodey asked.

"The Steve that you guys encountered must have went back in time and altered something that is affecting our Steve's consciousness."

"How?" Rhodey looked confused. "You said that altering the past doesn't affect our future?"

Bruce shook his head, "Yes, but that was with the stones. We had to place them back after the heist. Likewise, it wasn't like we did anything drastic that would throw our present off it's course."

"Then what would cause this?" Natasha wondered.

A grave looked dawned upon Banner that made his teammates uneasy. He quickly, pulled up some recovered Hydra reports that we salvaged from the raid and fleeing scientists. "Clearly, Hydra intercepted the Steve you saw from the past. The only way I can see them being able to do this is if they went back in time anywhere between him crashing into the icecaps and before being found by Coulson. They must have used some machine similar to what they used on Bucky before he woke up to make him believe that he's been part of Hydra."

"Those fucking bastards!" Natasha slammed her fist into the counter.

The emotional response slightly surprised her teammates. Bruce didn't know how to break it to them lightly. "That's not it. If I am piecing this together correctly. They sent the old Cap back in time to kill himself…"

""What!?"" Natasha and Rhodey shouted in unison.

"This would effectively make his past-self his future." Bruce finished.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait…" Rhodey had to stop Bruce. "But Nebula Killed herself from the past and she's still alive and unaffected."

"Yes, but that's because our Nebula was already on our side, and her future self is also her past self. However, if this Steve went back in time is Hydra, and he kills our Steve. Then this would cause catastrophic alternate realities or even changes in our present."

"Then why are we here? Like, shouldn't Hydra be ruling the planet right now if evil Steve is successful in completing his mission?" Rhodey scratched his head.

"Who knows, it could be that Hydra Steve hasn't killed good Steve yet, or that the affects are happening right now and at any minute we will being fading out of existence or even losing our memories."

Natasha looked at the unconscious Steve, the thought of losing him and everything to Hydra loomed over her mind with fear. "What do we need to do?"

xxxx

Bruce finished typing code into the Hydra system and gave the assassin a nod.

"Are you sure about this Nat?" Rhodey placed a comforting hand on Natasha's back.

"I am the only one here that can do it." She gave him a small smile.

Rhodey returned the smile and nodded his head. "Good luck."

Natasha attached a nanotech unit to her glove and pressed the button, quickly a black Hydra uniform wrapped around her body. The suits had a more militaristic designs to that of the red and white ones she used before, mainly due to the armor padding and tactical black color choice. The assassin walked closer to the Captain and brushed the messy blond hair off his face and back to its usual cut. "You better wake up when I get back." She then made her way up to the platform. "I am ready."

"Find our Steve and make sure so stick to him like glue." Rhodey tried to make light of the situation.

"When I am I ever not." She mused.

"The only sure time and place I can send you back to where you can easily find him is May 1st, 1943 at the Stark Expo. According to this log though the Hydra Steve arrive soon after the Rebirth Program, so until then you have to make sure to lay low." Bruce pressed some buttons "This device is a little different than ours, so a few months for you will be may a few hours for us… Stay safe Nat." Bruce said sincerely.

Natasha nodded, she let out a deep breath. Her finger twanged a little as she closed all thoughts out of her mind, and with a tap - vanishing into the vortex.

xxxx

Natasha came out of the Quantum Realm and landed on her feet. She felt a little queasy but that began to fade almost immediately. She looked around to take in her environment, the streets were wider and more covered in litter. The building made mostly out of brick and mortar, none of them looked like they had proper building regulations. Natasha made her way out of the ally and turned the corner, several people gave her a stare and just as quickly hurried away.

There was major traffic clogging the road as she looked several blocks in front of her. The lightshow and fireworks in the sky was a dead giveaway that an event was being held nearby.

Luckily for her, when she kept the helmet and suit on most people still gave her a curious gaze but must have thought it was for the show. The event seemed to have started not long ago, the sun was now fully gone, and the array of blue and red explosions filled the center of the area where Howard Stark was said to be show off his new inventions.

"If I was a Steve, where would I go?" Natasha questioned as she walked around the giant stadium housing thousands of displays. "Of course," The assassin smirked looking at an adjacent enlistment office.

More stares were shot her direction as she walked up the stairs into the main entrance of the recruitment center. Entering the building she definitely felt like touring a museum. There was patriotic posters plastered across the wall asking for citizens to help with the war effort or men to voluntarily enter.

'I want you' she turned to look at the classic Uncle Sam poster.

"Bucky, Bucky! Come on, there are men laying down their lives. I have no right to do any less then them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."

Natasha paused in her tracks. Her head slowly turned to the direction of that voice. She skimmed the people in front of her and nearly had her jaw hit the inside of her helmet when her eyes laid upon the skinny man several yards away. She had seen all the pictures that ever existed of him in his pre-serum state. But, to now be able to capture the full view of the short, nearly anorexic looking man made her feel an uneasy sensation build up inside her core.

"Hey, the Expo is that way." An officer chimed at her.

Natasha broke her trance and acknowledged the man, giving him a slight apologetic nod. She turned to leave but caught a glance of a man wearing a brown suit looking at Rogers. He looked like the scientist type, with the disheveled hair and circular glasses. The assassin made a quick hunch, this was Abraham Erskine, the creator of the super soldier himself.

xxxx

Doctor Erskine walked with glee as he headed upstairs to his apartment complex. The U.S government provided housing for him in exchange for his work and help to defeat the Nazis. The Doctor was put under protection and given his own little division to work with code name "Rebirth" to pick candidates for his serum which would change the tides of war.

A small smile made its way onto his face as he remembered the young man he met earlier today and help pass a physical examination.

"Steven Rogers." He shook his head to confirm his own thoughts.

So far, out of all the candidates that were chosen up to this point- there had yet to be someone with the spirit or values that the kid had. Though the kid lacked physical presence, Erskine knew Rogers would make up in heart.

He too a few seconds to fumble with his keys before inserting it into the lock and pushing open the door. The dead of night darkened his vision as only the hallway lights made it through the door. He took two steps into the complex and closed the door, when a clicking noise made him shudder a cold sweat.

The first thing that came in mind was his old capturers, Hydra.

"You can kill me if you want, but you will not get my work." He spoke with confidence, trying to not show any sign of fear.

"I don't want your work doctor." The assassin calmly stated.

Erskine raised his right eyebrow in confusion, he knew Hydra, but had yet to hear of them allowing females into the ranks. "I am going to turn around, don't shoot." Gradually, he began to take small steps in a circular direction until he found the source of the voice.

Natasha sat in a chair, legs and arms crossed, and still in the quantum realm suit but without the helmet.

Erskine adjusted his glasses to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. "Who are you?"

"I am Agent Romanoff, and I've come here for your help."


	2. Chapter 2

**I appreciate all the favorites and follows, thank you all who are enjoying the story so far. So, without further ado, enjoy. (Editing slowly)**

"Well I see no gun, so at least I know you aren't going to kill me… for now." Dr. Erskine spoke, his thick German accent gave off a hint of humor. The doctor took off his hat and placed it on the surface of a small cabinet. "May I?" He points at a chair that is opposite facing the assassin.

Natasha waved her hand in a friendly gesture. "This is your apartment doctor."

"Very well." The man cautiously takes a few steps and then pulls out a seat. He doesn't take an eye off Natasha as he sits.

"Would it make you feel better if I unarm myself?" The assassin quips, she could tell that mentally, Erskine is nervous wreck, though slightly impressed that the doctor could still look decently calm.

"Oh yes please." The doctor answered, his tone in more of a plea.

Natasha pulled out her sidearm in a quick draw which make the doctor jerk back into his seat.

"Relax, doctor, I am not going to hurt you." She casually pulls the magazine out and cocked the gun, catching the flying bullet and setting it down on the table surface.

Dr. Erskine breathed a little easier. "So, Agent Romanoff. Why do you need my help exactly?"

Natasha crossed her arms again. "I need you to get me access into Camp Lehigh. In fact, I would like it very much if I could act like your personal assistance from now on until my mission is complete."

"I don't remember advertising for a personal assistant Mr. Romanoff. In fact, I don't even know what this is, your mission. I am still not sure you aren't… Hydra." Erskine state.

Natasha leaned in closer, her calm and playful expression instantly disappeared, replaced with a more serious look. "A week from now, you are going to complete Project Rebirth. It will succeed, but Hydra- they are going to try and eliminate you and him. I need to stop that from happening."

Confused, Erskine came in closer to the table to meet the eyes of Natasha. "How do I know; you won't be the one to do it?"

"Steve Rogers is your obvious choice."

The doctor eyes widened at hearing the name, a quick shake of head in disbelief that the person in front of him knew his preferred candidate.

"I know your work with Johann Schmidt, that he tried a prototype serum that had unintended side effects. This time will be different doctor."

Natasha could tell the doctor was beginning to believe her. "Right now, he's a scrawny kid that is too riddled with health problems to even swat a fly. If I was Hydra, he would already be dead; you would already be dead."

The doctor rubbed his chin, thoughts were running through his head. He analyzed all the possible scenarios of trusting this person as he glanced at the red-haired woman and then at weapon besides her. His began to tap his right foot, not even bothering to hide his anxiousness now. After a few awkward seconds of floor creaking from his foot movements he pauses. "You aren't from this time- are you?"

A sly smile appears on Natasha's face. "No, I am not."

A knot formed around his stomach, not of fear, but a little bit of excitement. He kept silent for another few second, more creaking noised filled the room. Natasha looked intently at the doctor, she was sure he had a lot of question, some she may be able to answer, some she couldn't. The tapping finally stopped, the Doctor took a deep breath and nodded his head as if he was a high school student that just finished taking a test.

His lips quivered for a second, he was curious, but he wanted to make sure the questions counted. Natasha noticed his intention and uncrossed her arms, placing them on the table to show she was open to his enquiries and calm the man down.

"How many years?" He wanted to know when does technology get so advanced.

"Around 80." Natasha did some quick mental math.

He nodded his head. The doctor cleared his throat to make his voice firm, almost the equivalent to a father asking a total stranger if it was okay to leave their child in their care. "I only want to know one thing… was I right to choose him?"

Natasha had a hard time telling truths, lies came to her easily though. Having been a spy for so long, taking on so many double identities sometimes fact and fiction blended together. However, for the first time in her life there was no need to question the words that came out of her mouth or pause mentally to articulate something snappy to reply with. She only had to say the worlds that Steve had once shared with her. She pointed at her chest, "Not the perfect soldier, but a good man."

Dr. Erskine produced a soft smile. "Well, it looks like I have some extra paperwork to turn in tomorrow. I don't want my assistant to get into any trouble."

XXXX

Dr. Erskine didn't get any sleep that night. He had just finished up some reports and filled out some papers that may pass as documentation of Natasha being his assistant. He looked over to his couch to find the woman sleeping, she was so quiet that it made the doctor worried for a second. He turned on a small lamp with a shade to take a small peak, her back moved up and down indicating she was breathing.

Natasha heard the door behind her close. The Doctor must have gone out for some work-related reason or mail. She hasn't slept one bit either, just laying still on the couch trying to at least let her body go numb. She kept thinking about seeing Steve in a coma, something that irritated her to no end. It wasn't like him getting punched, kicked or shot at, this was just Steve lying down and unable to put up a fight. The thought of loosing him did not settle well in her mind. She tried to push the thought out, but the dread just kept find its way back into the deepest parts of her core. Before she knew it, the early sun began to creep up to the windows. Small rays of light danced into the room and warmed her face.

The opening of the door caused her to shoot up and turn her attention to the door.

"Morning." The German accent reached her hear.

"Morning" She replied.

Dr. Erskine made his way over to the couch and placed a bag on the floor. "Sorry if the cloths may be a little big, there is only a limited number of places around here that are open. And, well not many women are in the military. Do you want anything for breakfast?" He mused.

"Thank you." Natasha smiled; the simple gesture made her brighten up a little. She stood up and moved her stiff neck, "You have any peanut butter and jelly?"

XXXX

An older man eyed Natasha with great enquiry, she could tell it wasn't because he didn't like her or was suspicious, but likely because he is just a cynical person that lacked emotion. He looked at the papers in his hand and then back at the red-haired woman and then scoffed. "This is very last-minute doctor."

Erskine coughed a little, "Yes, well I need an extra hand to write everything down. I am not as fast as I used to be."

Colonel Chester Phillips closed the folder and then brought out his hand and waved his index finger to gesture for the Doctor to come closer. The doctor walked over to the Colonel and let the officer whisper into his ear. "She's Russian."

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"You know, the last time I was in contact with one of them I was in a trench fighting another war to end all wars. Didn't like them then, wouldn't like one now." Philips spoke in a fast-paced southern drawl.

"I vouch for her; she is a trustworthy assistant. Types very fast."

"It's not trust I have a problem with, it's people… And she looks like a person with many secrets."

"I assure you Colonel, nothing will happen. I will keep a close eye on her."

The Officer sighed. He then walked over to his desk and pulled out a stamp and pen. He scribbled is signature down on some of the papers and then loudly pounded the stamp onto the appropriate places. He enjoyed make the noise. Getting back up, he returned the folder to Dr. Erskine and then walked over to Natasha. "Don't distract the boys Ms. Romanoff."

Natasha gave the man an acknowledging salute. She decided to use her present time alias since it was made up anyways.

The Colonel snorted, a little bit amused, "Congratulations, you're an Agent now. Keep this on at all times, anyone ask, this is your verification." He handed her a card.

"Dearly noted sir." Natasha affirmed.

Philips face remained neutral as he walked over to the door of his office. "ten minutes until we meet the candidates." He told the two before leaving.

"We'll that went smoothly. I think he likes you." Dr. Erskine commented.

"He doesn't seem like a people person." Natasha added.

"He'll warm up to you. I'll show you to the woman's headquarters. They' get you a uniform to change into."

XXXX

Natasha receive a few stares which were flattering to say the least. So much built up testosterone in the base, it must have been weeks since some of the men laid eyes on an attractive woman, or at the very least someone new. The old-fashioned uniform wasn't an exact fit, but at the same time she felt a sense of power associated with it. She tried her best not to walk too fast as the brow skirt was just a little be more restrictive on her upper thighs than she like. The white dress shirt and brow blazer fit fine so that was a plus and the heels weren't much of a bother. They reached the Colonel's jeep and proceeded on a short ride.

A minute or two later the jeep stopped, and Natasha looked to her right. A tall brunette in a similar uniform unexpectedly punching a soldier straight in the nose. The man fell onto the ground with a thud as the rest of the men in line held back laughs. The Colonel made a quiet chuckle and stepped out of the car. She and Erskine and did the same.

"Agent Carter!" The Colonel's voice caused the uniformed woman to jerk a little. She turned around and straightened her posture and saluted.

"Colonel Philips."

"I can see you are breaking in the candidates. That's good." He looked at the man on the floor. "Get your ass up and out of that dirt and stand on that line of attention till somebody comes and tells you what to do."

"Yes sir!" The man with a bloody nose said as he ungracefully got back onto his feet.

Natasha almost couldn't keep her neutral expression as she looked to her right and realized that the woman was non other than Margaret 'Peggy' Carter. She had met the founder of S.H.E.I.D. many time (clearly not in her prime) and has seen many photos and read numerous stories about the legendary woman. But this was a whole new experience being able to live it, and seeing the brunette made her excited.

Colonel Philips began his speech. "General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men…" He paused to look at Steve.

The blonde knew what the Colonel was thinking but kept his stare forwards. Natasha couldn't help gaze at the scrawny man, 'I don't think I am ever gonna get use to see him in that state' she mentally told herself. Rogers momentary broke his blank gaze as he felt an uncomfortable stare piercing daggers into him, his eyes rolled to his left to find the red-haired woman staring at him. Discomfort caused him to quickly break eye contact. Natasha noticed this and smirked.

"…And because they are going to get better. Much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man. At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldiers. And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell. Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes Sir!" The line of men said in unison.

"Good! Agent Carter here and Agent Romanoff will be kept track of your progression. Do anything stupid or out of line, kiss your chances goodbye." Colonel Philips walked over to the drill instructor. "Make sure these boys are puking and sore tonight." And with that, the Colonel proceeded to the car.

Erskine patted Natasha on the shoulder "don't work too hard" he gave her a warm smile and followed the Colonel.

The drill instructor walked over to the front. "As Colonel Philip has stated, if you boys are still able to move by the end of the day. Then I am not doing my job. We'll begin with a warmup, five miles around the base. Make two even numbered lines and follow me."

The men fumbled around each other for a few seconds before they finally separated into even lines. "Let's go ladies!" The drill instructor said as he waved for them to start running on a dirt path.

"I am Agent Carter." Natasha turned her attention away from the running men, particularly the one already falling behind.

"Agent Romanoff, Natasha if you want to be informal." She greeted the Agent and held out her hand.

"Margaret, but Peggy is fine." She moved her hand to shake Natasha's.

"I don't recall ever meeting you." Peggy stated; the English accent made the question more sincere sounding.

"I am new, Dr. Erskine need a pair of fast typing hand." Natasha replied.

"How are you liking the job so far?" Peggy continued.

"We'll seeing as I just got promoted to Agent ten minutes ago, not bad." Natasha joked.

Peggy gave a small laugh and seemed to be entertained, a bit of her felt annoyed that someone so new got a title already compared to how hard she had to work for the promotions. However, she quickly brushed the childish thought out of her mind. Not a competition she told herself.

"Well. Unlike them, we don't have to run." Peggy arched her head to the right directing at a jeep.

XXXX

Natasha spent the day with Peggy recording notes on the candidates. Peggy was glued to her work, making sure to keep an eye on every single candidate like a hawk on its prey. She recorded all their times to the thousandths of a second and noted anything particularly interesting with a red pen.

Natasha on the other hand, she found the whole routine to be quite boring. None of the candidates had particularly noteworthy physical benchmarks or showed any skills that highlighted their candidacy in the eyes of Natasha since she was too used to more extensive modern training. But the other candidates were not her concern.

Natasha had her eyes glued on Steve.

She watched as the older soldier would pretend Steve didn't exist or worst, actually bully him. Natasha had to restrain herself from getting out of the jeep and punching Gilmore Hodge on several occasions. As the day went on, watching the exhausted Steve continue to push himself caused Natasha's forehead to ache a little.

"Bloody embarrassments, aren't they?" Peggy spoke, she spared a stare at Natasha while her hand remained fixed on the piece of paper she was scribbling on.

Natasha could only muster up a half-hearted chuckle.

"ROGERS! A BABY CAN LIFT MORE THAN YOU!" The shouting began. Natasha and Peggy looked on as Steve tried his best to do a pull up.

The red-haired agent closed her eyes for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. She opened her eyes again and turned to Peggy who was scribbling something down with a red pen.

After some firearms training, mud crawling, rope climbing, and upper body stress testing, another five miles of running would end the day.

"Cut the pace ladies, lets go, lets go! Double time, faster, faster, move, move!" The shouting in the background came closer.

Peggy and Natasha turned in their seats to look at the soldiers coming closer.

"That flag means we're only at the halfway point. First man that brings it back to me get's a ride with Agent Carter and Romanoff."

Natasha rolled her eyes when all the men except Steve who was too busy catching his breath began to fighter their way up the flagpole besides them. "Come on Hodges get up there. No one has got that flag in seventeen years!"

There was some more tussling noise before the instructor had to put an end to it. "Come on, get back in formation!"

"Rogers, I said fall in!"

Natasha watched intently as Steve finally had enough strength to walk over to the pole. She was expecting him to at least have some strength to make it up a few feet, or surprise her and retrieve the flag. However, what Steve did next was something the her leader would totally do and it gave her a feeling of pride for the small guy.

PLANK*

The ringing of the pole hitting the ground produced grin on Peggy's face. She smirked at the drill instructor who looked like he was about to make Steve do five hundred push-ups for being a smart-ass but decided to close his mouth when the two Agents shot him a look.

"Thank you, sir." Steve breathed exhaustingly and handed the flag to his instructor.

Natasha got nervous a little as Steve approached the jeep and climbed in from the back. He sank into his seat and let off a relaxed breath. Natasha had the urge to give him a hug but opted to not get too friendly. He looked at the assassin for a split second and flushed when she gave him a smile and a thumbs up instead.

"Don't expect to have a warm welcome tonight." Peggy joked.

Steve didn't even need to look behind him to realized that there was a lot of anger and frustration in the men behind him.

"I think it will be worth it."

Peggy finished her note and turned her head to smile at Steve in which he returned. The vehicle roared to life and started heading back to the main camp.

XXXX

Natasha finished giving her first day report to Dr. Erskine and Colonel Philips. It took a little longer than she was expecting since Peggy had extensive writings. The Agent was thinking of getting some dinner and then heading back to her quarters to end the day when she heard a few soft clanking sounds coming from the candidates' housing. She was expecting more noises from the energetic group but was surprised to see that the lights were out, and no one was inside when she walked by the front.

She raised an eyebrow and continued her way to where the noise was coming from. Reaching the back of the building she quietly turned the corner to find Steve sitting on the ground with a small pile of rocks, throwing them at an empty food can that was at least 30 feet from him. She watched in amazement as the small rocks flew with precision, each one entering the can effortlessly. No wonder he can throw that shield with such accurate precision, she told herself.

"How are you doing that?" She instinctively asked.

Steve jolted, scared half to death. When he turned around to find Natasha, his eyes shot wide open. The man jumped on his feet and saluted, "ma'am."

Natasha snickered "At ease."

He let his arm go down, he began to hunch a little and brushed away a loose lock of hair, hoping that it was just dark enough to hide his blush.

"You play sports? Baseball?" She questioned, pointing at the can.

Steve tried his best to hide his embarrassed expression, "Yes, I mean, no. Not really."

"You have great aim." She walked over to him and bent down to grab a rock from his pile. She closed one eye and took aim. With a little power, the rock sailed through the air, but was a few feet over her target. She purposely threw it further to extend the conversation.

"So, you don't play?" She straightened and then moved her hands behind her back.

"No, well, just me and my friend. Never had the strength to make the long runs or power to hit the ball." Steve spoke, still a little anxious. "Just had a lot of time to play catch with myself. Got pretty good at hitting targets. Besides, I don't think any of the boys wanted me on their team anyways." He began to babble.

She gave him a small smile. "I never got the chance to play any sports growing up." Probably because I spent most of the time training to kill people.

Steve furrowed his brows and looked down onto his hand which was holding another rock. "So, what made you decide to join the army? You look more like the movie star gal."

Natasha shot him a perplexed look.

"I mean woman, agent, dame, I…" he began to trail off, Natasha thought it was cute.

"It's alright." She quipped.

"Sorry ma'am."

The agent pulled out her hand, gesturing for him to give her the rock, which he did. She took aim again, "you must have done other things, a hobby?" She questions and then looks at him for an answer.

He paused for a moment. "I never had the ability or given the chance to do something more."

Natasha frowned, "you shouldn't let others tell you what you can or can't do."

"That's why I am here, I didn't." He said firmly.

Another smile made it across her face from the perfect answer she received. She took aim again and threw the rock. This time it was only a few inches away.

"Close." Steve encouraged.

"We'll Rogers. You better get some rest; tomorrow will be another harsh day." Natasha stated as she dusted off her hands.

"I'll try ma'am"

Natasha began making her way to the corner again, "Rogers!"

Steve shot the red-haired agent a puzzled look. The assassin had secretly hidden a rock in her pocket, she took it out and then with a quick flick of the wrist sent the rock precisely into the can. The soldier had to blink twice in surprise. "Wow."

XXXX

Natasha decided to go for a quick canned MRE instead of waiting in line, she quickly realized that the men there had no filter when trying to court women. "Hey beautiful, how about a night you'll never forget with a future war hero!" She heard someone yell, ignoring it she enters the small facility designated for females.

"Geeze, what a bunch of hounds." She said to herself why trying to open the can.

"You'll get used to it."

Natasha looked up and saw Peggy sitting in a desk with several mountains of stacked folders. The assassin made her way to the bed adjacent to the other agent. "Not taken?"

"All yours." Peggy replied.

Natasha took off her shoes and then lazily jumped on the bed. There was an award silence between the two as Natasha began to eat her ration which was composed of bread, jams, crackers, and a brick of what looked like condensed meat. "So, are we the only ones here?"

"There are several nurses that are here. I don't expect them to come back in for another several hours. To busy treating the _injured_." Peggy folded some papers and put them in a drawer.

"Oh, naughty." Natasha joked.

"Very." Peggy said flatty.

"What about you? Someone special in your life?" Natasha enquired in a friendly manner.

"Please." Peggy shrugged off the question playfully.

"So, Peggy. Why did you join?" Natasha continued.

"The army?" She scoffed but gave the question some thought. "I was tired of people closing doors on me, so I decided to make one myself."

"You are a pioneer of your time." The red-head commented.

"We are." Peggy turned finally to look at her.

"We are..." Natasha could tell why Steve fell head over heels for the brunette. They had the same scenes of ambition and duty; it made her kind of giddy to see the romance between the two fall in place. The excitement came to a halt as she kept thinking about it. Oh shit, she thought. It's been so long since read Steve's file that it almost made her forget she was about to witness a tragedy.

"So, is there any specific candidate you are leaning towards right now?" Natasha wanted to know what Peggy's initial thoughts are, mainly Steve's since clearly, she could tell that Agent Cater was on the same boat as she was.

"Gilmore Hodge is physically the most qualified at the moment. Shawn Robertson is a close second. Everyone else haven't been exceed our expectations." Peggy was quick to answer.

Natasha frowned. She was hoping for a different answer, she decided it would be good to give the brunette a little nudge. "What about Steven Rogers?"

"Hmm, not what I was expecting when Dr. Erskine said he had found the perfect choice, but… what he is lacking, he sure makes up for determination. I respect that a lot."

"I agree with the doctor, he's the best choice." Natasha pushed a bit more.

"We'll, he has four more days to prove it." Peggy was a logical type of woman, evidence and facts made up her world. She didn't want to make an emotional choice.

"I am sure that will be more than enough time." Natasha stated as she went into the restroom.

"I know." Peggy whispered while looking at a picture of Steve clipped to the main page of his file.

**Leave a review, thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Today's the last stretch men. One of you will have the honor of being the first super soldier by nightfall." The drill instructor yelled while staring into the eyes of each of his trainees.

"To give you boys a little more motivation today, I will be shadowing in the back while Agent Carter and Romanoff handle the routines."

It was as if Christmas came early for some of the men as they audibly chanted their approval with some cheers.

"Shut it!" The drill instructor demand. He coughed a little to clear his parched throat, "Ma'am" he salutes Peggy and Natasha as the two Agents made their way to face the men.

Agent Carter is the one to start routine. "Okay ladies, get ready for your run."

On cue the men formed two lines and began their way to the trail.

"Halt!" Natasha commanded, which caused the men stumble as they stopped their legs. Natasha waved her hand which signaled for several men with heavy plastic boxes to march over.

Peggy opened one of the boxes and pulled out something with a bit of weight, the object looked like a long bean bag. "Today, your run will be weighted with these."

The officers pass two of the weights to each candidate. "Each one weights about fifteen pounds, now that shouldn't be much trouble for all you strong men, right?" Natasha chimed in.

"No!" All of the candidates answered, though the tone of their response sounded like a depressed whimper rather than enthusiasm.

"Let's go!" Peggy said as she and Natasha finished strapping on their pair of leg weights. The two women both thought the men would perform extra well today if all of them saw that they were about to be humiliated by two women.

XXXX

Natasha's legs were beginning to feel a slight burn especially the thighs by the fourth mile, Peggy was a few feet behind her in the jog which surprised the assassin that the brunette was fairing way better than she expected. The same could be said about the candidates as they kept a good pace to the side of agents.

Then there was Steve.

Natasha glanced to the back of her for a split second to make sure he didn't pass out and die a mile back.

The scrawny asthmatic looked about the size of an ant in the distant. The assassin fought the urge to stop and let him catch up, no, she shook her head as several beads of sweat made it down her chin. There was another mile to go before the trail ends, and he will just have to survive until then.

XXXX

The group were painting, their green uniforms visibly wet from the build up of sweat excreting out of their bodies. Several men began to throw up as they reached the finish line. Natasha and Peggy stood, their back hunched over at little as their muscles began to finally loose strength to carry their bodies' up right. Still the two looked in the best of shape compared to some of the men passed out on the ground. Those guys were definitely not getting the position.

"You held up we'll" Peggy huffed, looking at Natasha who caught her breath and was stretching out the soreness in her legs. "Interesting physical level for a typing assistant." The agent stated in a curious manner.

Natasha rolled her right ankle while planting the tip of her foot in the dirt. "Got to be prepared for anything." She replied; the answer didn't seem to satisfy Peggy. "I used to do ballet; you would be surprised how intense those instructors were."

That answer seemed to be more of what Peggy was looking for a she gave Widow a nod. "You think we should let them catch their breath?"

Natasha looked back the trail while rolling her left ankle. Steve seemed to be half a mile behind. "At least until he gets here." The red head said.

XXXX

"Faster ladies come on! My grandmother got more life in her, god rest her soul." Peggy's quote on quote, words of encouragement could be heard across the base.

Natasha could hear Doctor Erskine and Colonel Philips discussing something in the back. The assassin had her arms crossed while keeping an eye on all the recruits while they performed their standard pushups and jumping jacks.

Suddenly, goosebumps raised on the back of Natasha's neck. A familiar pull of a safety pin and spring of a fuse caused a cold feeling of distress down her back. Quickly, she turned around to find one of her worst fears landing a few feet in front of her.

"Grenade!"

Peggy and Natasha at once felt her feet move unconsciously towards the explosive; Peggy was ready to grab the explosive and throw it while Natasha wanted to kick it away from the men diving to safety in all directions.

THUD*

Natasha's heart nearly jumped out in horror as Steve who was closer threw himself onto the ground. The man curled up into a ball, using his body to contain the expected explosion. "GET AWAY, GET BACK!" He screams at the two of them.

A long second passed, Natasha frozen from Steve's action.

A mental timer went off in Natasha's head, at any moment she expects Steve to be reduced to a pile of blood and guts scattered across the ground. Her breath trembled as nothing happened, and someone in the back broke the silence stating it was dummy grenade. The assassin wiped away some sweat on her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt.

A confused Steve stopped hugging the dummy bomb and looked up at Colonel and Erskine. "Is this a test?"

The red-hair assassin could barely keep it together as she let out an immense sigh of relief. She should have felt happy that her friend was not going to prematurely die, she should have expected the grenade to be a cruel tactic to test the courage of the candidates. But instead of joy, a rush of emotional anger overwhelmed the Black Widow as she stomped over to the man laying on the floor.

Grabbing his damp shirt by the collar, Natasha looked like she was about to spit fire. "Are you crazy? You could have died!" Her harsh words came out as a direct whisper.

The perplexed Steve didn't know how to respond as he let the woman shake some sense back into him; the man stared at Dr. Erskine for an explanation but only got a smirk in return.

XXXX

Natasha and Dr. Erskine ate dinner in solitude at his office.

"So, was the grenade at test?" Natasha asked mixing in her beans with rice.

"Thankfully it was." Dr. Erskine said as he took a bite out his food.

Natasha arched her eyebrow, giving the doctor a confounded stare.

Erskine held out his hands and shrugged, "He said war is won with guts, I am sure he knows who has the most guts now."

The assassin shook her head. "I was this close to ripping out his guts." Her annoyance directed at the Colonel.

"That would have been a sight." The two chuckled to themselves as they continued to devour their dinner.

"So, tell me something interesting about the future." The man stated, curious to know what the world would look like in eighty years.

"We don't have flying cars. We'll at least they aren't used widely." Natasha stated, remembering Erskine fascination with Howard Stark's levitating car demonstration.

"That's disappointing." Erskine was visibly saddened.

"Well one step at a time, currently, uh, in the future battery powered cars are beginning to be the new trend."

"Battery powered cars." The man rubbed his chin, "that must be a strong battery."

"Everything is more powerful in the future."

"Hmmm, you told me that we won the war so that is good. But I assume world peace is too much to ask since you are here."

Natasha agreed. "Some people are just inherently bad. Others are too convinced in their own beliefs to see they are unpopular."

"I guess it's true that human nature is one of destruction." Erskine shook his head disapprovingly.

"Where there are bad people, there are others like Steve out there protecting the innocent caught in the middle."

The doctor took as sip of hid water. "What about you, Natasha? Tell me more about how you came to work with S.H.E.L.D."

"We'll doctor, I wasn't always on the right side. I am a spy; I did what I was good at. Killing." Natasha regretted her past actions but was not ashamed to admit when she was wrong.

"So, what changed?"

The thought of Clint put a sting in her beating chest. How she had failed to save the one who gave her a second chance of living her new life. "A friend of mines showed me a new path that I could take, that killing isn't the only thing I could do. That I could use my skills to protect people that can't fight back."

The continued with their conversation about the future, Natasha told him about the time Steve lost a bet to Nick Fury which costed the super soldier $10 dollars. The doctor was more shocked at how much money Steve lost than the fact that in the future an entire aircraft carrier can turn invisible, causing Natasha to explain how crazy inflation was and that no, Steve didn't lose an entire week worth of pay.

After a while, Natasha leaned into her chair. The mood of the room took a cold tern as she crossed her arms and put on a serious face. Dread filled her core as she pondered the events that would unfold in the next few days. The reports from Steve's files were pretty detailed about the events of that day, but Black Widow wasn't sure how to articulate the facts to the doctor.

"Abraham…" She spoke his name.

The doctor knew he wasn't going to like what he is about to hear, as he fixed the position of his glasses.

"I am going to do whatever I can to prevent Hydria from steal or using your work." Sincerity in her voice. "But… I," the assassin wanted to pick her words carefully. "Please doctor, make these next 72 hours count."

There was a subtlety behind Natasha's meaning, but the doctor caught on fast. He cupped his mouth and furrowed is eyebrows, hanging his head down. It's not everyday that someone tells you how much time you have left on the planet. Natasha could tell Erskine had so many things rushing through his head as she stared emptily onto the table.

The assassin reached over and grabbed the man's hand. "I will do everything I can." She reassured.

XXXX

Johann Schmidt looked out his window. He kept his view targeted at the snowy mountains; something was bothering him. The clanking of his metal office door as it scratched the rock floor ever so slightly made him ball up his fist. "Doctor, you know I hate it when you open the door so slowly."

A short stature man with glasses came walking in. A disturbed look plastered on his face.

The Hydra leader pushed his elastic facial mask back in place from where it was fall off his chin. "What is it Doct-" Perplexed, he stared at the man wearing a Hydra military uniform walking passed Dr. Zola.

BAM* BAM*

The red skull fell onto the ground, two precise bullets penetrating his head and heart, killing him instantly.

The smell of gun powder filled the room. "You may get back to work now doctor." Steve spoke.


	4. Chapter 4

Natasha was busy studying a map of the harbor adjacent to the secret research base where the experimentation would be taking place. She was planning out how to prevent the assassination attempt that Hydra was about to pull. The drivers were no problem as they were killed during the escape attempt, however, Fred Clemson or Heinz Kruger would end up completing his mission. The master assassin was thinking of ways to approach the target and account for any unexpected interferences.

Her concentration was broken when she heard someone knock on the office door.

"Come in." She answered.

Agent Carter opened the door "how's the work?"

"It's getting done, thanks. You excited for the procedure tomorrow?" Natasha inquired.

"Excited yes, nervous too." Peggy hoped the serum will work. "You're not coming with us in the morning?" Peggy asked Natasha.

"No, Abraham has me finishing up last minute reports. I'll be there for the demonstration." Natasha lied.

"I see." Peggy replied, she sounded indifferent.

"I am sure you and Steve can use this time to get to know each other more." The assassin teased.

Peggy put on a stern expression, realizing what Natasha was implying. "Oh, don't be silly."

"What? He's not a bad guy. Or are you just superficial?" The red-haired woman shrugged.

The brunette looked offended. "I am not superficial- I am just not interested in settling down at the moment." She defended.

"I never said you had to settle down." Natasha smirked which caused Peggy to get a little flustered.

"I just want to keep it professional." Peggy remained calm.

"Uh-hu, now go get some rest, I can't concentrate with you here." Natasha joked. "Thanks for checking in on me."

"Of course, get some rest too." Peggy left.

As the door finally closed, the assassin let out a deep breath and sunk into her seat. She wanted to be prepared for the worst-case scenario but wasn't sure if her efforts would be enough to stop the tragedy that would unfold tomorrow. "Maybe if I intercept him before he arrives?" Natasha tussled her hair, slightly frustrated with the logistics of her problem. After a few more hours of planning, Romanoff snuck out of the base, she had 'barrowed' some weapons and a jeep. Lucky for her she had all the paperwork needed to convince the guards that she was just completing a task Dr. Erskine had assigned her.

The agent drove her way to the harbor where she had read that Kruger's get away vehicle a Fieser Dorsch, a single pilot submersible vehicle was retrieved. She didn't know if the Hydra spy would arrive in the vehicle or if she had already missed the time window.

It was a little passed midnight and there wasn't much activity at the harbor. Natasha got out of the jeep and made a quick checked of the surrounding area before activating the Hydra quantum realm suit and diving into the water. The suit came in handy as it had night vision and was waterproof. "No Hydra vehicle down here." She muttered.

After a few more minutes of scanning through the pitch-black water she came back onto the surface and found a position on a cargo ship facing the doc. The assassin carried with her a Lee-Enfield sniper rifle with a prototype suppressor. The place would make a great stakeout location for the rest of the night. If Kruger arrived, she would be able to take him out easily or head back to the Strategic Scientific Reserve facility to protect Erskine and Steve before the operation began.

Natasha had not kept her eye off the dock area for the past six hours. She had run through all the possibilities in her mind of how she was going to take out the Hydra assassin. It's been over 72 hours since the last time she slept, and she could feel a twinge in her fingers that meant her alertness was starting to fade. The sun had been up for a while now and the assassin shook her head and emptied her mind of any thoughts about sleep. Steve's procedure was about to begin in an hour so she was contemplating whether she should go to the facility. It was about a five-minute drive away, so she waited a little longer.

Suddenly, the surface of the water broke. A smile slowly made it onto the assassin face as she scoped in with her rifle and could visibly make out a man coming out of the Hydra vehicle. It was Kruger.

Natasha kept her target in sight, watching his every move as he climbed up onto the dock and was met with three strangers. "Those must be the get away drivers." The four seemed to be conversing about something important. Natasha could make out from their moving lips that they were walking about Erskine, the serum, and a plan. She closed her eyes for less than a millisecond, holding her breath and taking aim.

The first shot entered the cranium of one of the random Hydra agents, before the other two drivers could react more bullets sailed through the air going into their chests and out their backs. That was three confirmed kills for the Black Widow.

Kruger looked hysterical, unable to comprehend where the projectiles where coming from. The Hydra Spy made a dash for the alleyway but what struck in the knee from another round. The man fell onto the ground yelling in pain, but no one was there to help him. Natasha smirked, satisfied with her work. She unloaded the magazine and cocked the gun, packing up any traces that she was there before heading down to retrieve her asset.

Natasha gave Kruger a fifty/fifty chance of taking his own life. The reports said the the spy had a cyanide capsule disguised as a right canine, she wanted nothing more than for the man to be dead. This meant that there would be no curve balls that she had to deal with, his mission was compromised, and he had served his cause. However, if he was alive- well then that meant he has one final message to deliver.

It took Romanoff two minutes to get down from her position. The entire time she made sure that the man couldn't make it too far. The Fieser Dorsch was still submerged and none of the getaway vehicles were missing. She followed a trail of blood that curved around the corner to the back of a building. There she found the Hydra Agent holding his bloodied leg and breathing heavily.

Natasha aimed her weapon at the man, "You should be dead." She mouthed.

The man noticed the voice and looked up, he laughed in a mocking manner. "You are not what I was expecting."

"I hope I didn't disappoint." Natasha quipped.

"On the contrary, you have been proving our leader's point. Women are just as valuable resources a man, not just breeding machines."

"What a revolutionary." She said sarcastically.

"He will bring order to this world! I – ah!" Natasha without warning hit the man in the mouth with the butt of her rifle, popping several teeth out of his mouth.

The man let out an agonizing yelp and touched his lips. A cold sweat broke across his forehead as he realized his suicide pill had been dislodged. He reached for a tooth sitting on the ground, but Natasha stomped on his hand producing another painful howl.

The Agent stuck the rifle barrel against the man's temple.

"Cut off one head, two shall take it's place." He chanted.

"We'll there's three of your friends over there." She retorted.

"We're merely pawns." He squeezed his pocket which made a single beeping noise.

"Oh shit!" Natasha jumped back and rolled into a ball. The explosion sent her tumbling several feet, its if someone turned on a jet engine right in front of her. A loud ringing temporary deafened her hearing, and she felt like her internals have all flipped over. The assassin grunted and gazed at where Kruger used to be, nothing but fire, blood, and debris.

"Damn it!" She slammed the pavement. Natasha stood up, her legs still a bit shaky. The mixture of sleep deprivation and the intensity of the explosion caused her body to be confused; not sure if it wanted to go into rest mode or ready to spring into action. She stumbled over to her jeep and entered the driver seat, checking the time. "Oh no, no, no…" She realized that the procedure had just began. Quickly she started the vehicle and raced her way to the facility.

XXXX

Several loud blasts could be heard in front of her as she drove closer to the facility. It sounded like she was about to enter into a firefight. She swerved passed the light traffic and reached a blockade of cars, there were people in military uniforms firing at a truck heading their way.

The sound of metal and glass cracking and bending as the truck collided with the parked cars echoed through the streets. The massive vehicle was easily able ram pass the blockade and continue its path right passed Natasha.

She was hesitant to go after the vehicle. Not sure who was driving it, or if it mattered, the only thing she had on her mind was the safety of Steve. Luckily, she didn't need to wait too long to make a decision as a tall muscular man wearing clothes that looked two sizes too small began charging through the carnage with a murderous intent in his eyes. Natasha quickly reversed her jeep and chased after the superhuman who in turn was chasing another vehicle.

Dodging some more cars and civilians, the chase continued for a few hectic minutes. Until Steve decided to take a short cut throw an ally instead of running into heavy traffic. Natasha stopped her vehicle and sprinted after the blonde. Steve rounded the corner and disappearing from her sights.

Her body was tired, and it fought against her actions to continue the pursuit. The Black Widow ignored her physical limits and parkoured over a fence, cutting through the crowd of busy pedestrians on the sidewalk. She realized they were heading back to the harbor.

There was a crashing noise followed by dozens of people running away in fear. She could hear the grunting of two men engaged in a fist fight. It was no ordinary brawl as it sounded like gunshots every time a punch landed. Natasha pulled out a pistol and stealthy made her way to the commotion.

In front of her Steve was fighting a figure dressed in a full body Hydra uniform. Natasha new instantly that it was the brainwashed version of Steve as almost no one could withstand punches from a super soldier and walk away without some kind of major injury. The two exchanged fists and kicks, Hydra Steve was way more experienced landing a fury of punches that always connected with its target. Regular Steve looked like an amateur in comparison, doing his best to block incoming blows while dishing out his own.

Natasha had to act fast, she rolled up her sleeves and activated her electric gauntlets. "Steve!" She yelled, the one in a white shirt turned to look at her, a mistake on his end as he received a punch in the gut that sent him onto his knees. The Black Widow whispered an apology, but she needs him to be out of the way. She took aim and fired at the Hydra Steve, but her bullets didn't do much but stun the enemy.

Natasha closed the distance and inflicted some damage of her owns with several punches combined with the shock of her bracers. Using her agility, she got behind the man and jumped onto his back, forcing her arms around his neck to put him into a chokehold. The Black Widow pulled her arms closer inwards doing her best not to let him shake her.

Hydra Steve elbowed her in the side and used the back of his head to bash her face. He could feel her arms weakening, reaching back he grabbed at her jacket and threw her off with little effort, sending the agent crashing too his doppelganger. Just as quick, he rand over to harbor side and dived into the water.

Natasha grunted, her head ached, and she wanted to throw up from the pain in her stomach.

"Natasha! You alright?" Steve's concerned voice was booming in her ears, he shook the agent a few times until the white from her face began to regain color.

"I am fine, stop shaking me." She groaned. "What happened?"

The man gave her a look of defeat. "He got the serum."


End file.
